Hooded heel shoes

ABSTRACT

A heeled shoe including a heel located in the rear part of the shoe and configured so that it is almost completely hidden from view when the shoe is in use and the use of such shoe.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to provisional application Ser. No. 62/838,461, filed Apr. 25, 2019. The provisional application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally is related to heeled shoes, and in particular, to heeled shoes in which the heel is not visible, i.e., are hooded inside the rear portion of the shoes, but otherwise function as a traditional heel, providing lift to the heel portion of a wearer's foot.

Shoes are known to have existed since at least 8000 or 7000 BC, and leather shoes, in particular, have been dated at least to 3500 BC. The “heel” is the part of the shoe that raises the rear of the sole of the shoe in relation to the front. “Heeled” shoes where the heel portion of the shoe is intentionally visible are well known to the art. Shoewear in which the heel portion has the utility of a normal heel, but is purposefully constructed to be obscured from view in a comfortable and long-lasting design, however, would have the advantages of many heels, but also additional advantages previously unknown, as a result of their being intentionally invisible to the casual observer. This can particularly be the case regarding shoewear otherwise designed in look and appeal for women's shoewear, such as where adding height and forward lift can enhance the overall appearance of the wearer, just as a visible heel otherwise serves to accomplish.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It would be advantageous, therefore, to have a heeled shoe, and in particular, a women's aesthetically designed heeled shoe, with a pronounced elevation in the heel portion of the shoe, but in which the heel is hidden from view and contained completely, or nearly completely, within the interior of the shoe between, e.g., the outersole of the shoe and some inner layer of the shoe, such as the insole. Such a hooded heel shoe has the advantages of a heeled shoe, such as adding to the functional or apparent height of the wearer and increasing the forward tilt of the wearer's calves and ankles, but with the appearance of being generally heel-less. Further, it has been discovered that such shoes are generally healthier for the foot of the wearer than a visibly heeled shoe, since added shaping may be employed, and does not provide the sometimes showy appearance that is often associated with shoes where the heel is fully visible. Furthermore, it would be advantageous to have such hooded heel shoes which can add cushioning and durability to the heeled portion of the shoe.

Generally stated, a hooded heel shoe is provided having the general shape and components of a shoe, including, generally, a shoe upper, a sole under the upper which, in use, generally contacts a wearer's foot, and between which the wearer will insert his or her foot. The sole can be divided into parts, a first part, or insole portion, which in use is in contact with the wearer's foot (or foot covering, such as a sock), and a second part, or outsole, which in use contacts the ground. In the hooded heel embodiment disclosed herein, rather than a heel being affixed to the exterior, ground-contacting part of the sole (or outsole) of the shoe in its rear portion as is normally the case, the heel is affixed inside the back portion of the shoe located between the first (insole) and second (outsole) parts of the sole, or a functional equivalent of the sole.

The hooded heel shoe as disclosed herein may, and usually does, include additional features such as a foam or cushioning layer between the first and second parts of the sole and/or between the first part of the sole and the hooded heel.

Hooded heel shoes of the invention can otherwise be of a wide variety of constructions, e.g., they can include a closed-toed shoe, an open-toed shoe, a shoe otherwise generally considered to be a “sandal”, and a high-heel shoe, e.g., wherein the heel portion under the wearer's heel, is at least 3 inches, 3⅛ inches, 3¼ inches, 3½ inches, 3⅝ inches, 3¾ inches, and 3⅞ inches, 4 inches, or 4⅛ inches, 4¼ inches, 4½ inches, 4⅝ inches, 4¾ inches, and 4⅞ inches, 5 or more inches in height, or a low-heel shoe wherein, e.g., the rise in the heel portion is not, or not readily apparent; such as including wherein the heel portion under the wearer's heel, shows an increase in height to that of a low-heel shoe wherein the rise in the heel portion is, e.g., 1 inch, and 1⅛ inches, 1¼ inches, 1⅗ inches, 1½ inches, 1⅗ inches, 1⅝ inches, 1¾ inches and 1⅞ inches in height, or a medium-heel shoe, e.g., wherein the heel portion is between at least 2 inches, 2⅛ inches, 2¼ inches, 2½ inches, 2⅝ inches, 2¾ inches, and 2⅞ inches.

In additional aspects, the invention includes the use of the hooded heel shoes of the invention by placement of them on one's foot, and thereafter engaging in an activity. In a specific aspect, such activity may include walking.

In another aspect the hooded heel shoes of the invention are specifically configured to be aesthetically designed for use by a woman.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described In the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, which form a part of the specification:

FIG. 1 is a picture of an embodiment of a hooded heel shoe according to the present invention in which the hooded heel and other portions of the inside of the shoe have been lifted out for viewing;

FIG. 2 is a picture of the embodiment of FIG. 1 wherein just the heel portion of the interior of the shoe is lifted and separated to be visible to view; and,

FIG. 3 is a picture at a side elevational angle wherein the shoe is intact and the hooded heel is completely hidden from view.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following detailed description illustrates the claimed invention by way of example and not by way of limitation. The description clearly enables one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives, and uses of the claimed invention, including what is presently believed to be the best mode of carrying out the claimed invention. Additionally, it is to be understood that the claimed invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the photos/drawings. The claimed invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As used herein, the term “heel” refers to the solid part of the shoe that supports a heel cup and mostly directly supports the “heel” of the wearer's foot and upon which the shoe wearer's heel, or padded area of the underside of the foot, generally rests in use. Standard measures of heels are intended for use herein—i.e., an 8/8 (low heel) is 1″ high; a 16/8 (medium heel) is 2 “high; and a 24/8 (high heel) is 3” high or higher, with any measure between 8/8 and 16/8 being a “low” heel, any measure between 16/8 and 24/8 being a medium heel, and any measure of 24/8 and above being a high heel.

As used herein, heel height is measured on a vertical line at the breast of the heel, from the bottom surface of the outsole (or other shoe portion contacting the ground) to the bottom surface of the insole. The heel breast is the forward-facing side of the heel, and the heel seat is the part of the shoe directly below where the heel of the foot rests, and where the sole and the heel are generally joined together. See “Footwear Glossary: Shoe Construction Terminology,” www.amefird.com (3-08-08).

A “hooded heel”, as used herein, is one in which the heel is hidden from view and contained completely, or nearly completely, within the interior of the shoe between, e.g., the outersole of the shoe and some inner layer of the shoe, such as the insole. As used herein, a “hooded heel” shoe is not intended to include one wherein the shoe does not have a heel, or one wherein the shoe has a “negative heel” (see “Footwear Glossary, above).

The hooded heel shoe 10 of the present invention is indicated generally by reference numerals throughout the Figures. The hooded heel shoe 10 can include an upper 12, an insole 14 and an outsole 16. Note that in certain embodiments of the present invention, some, most or even all of the insole and outsole, running from the toe to the last of the heel, may be combined into just a sole, or one or both may have additional layers. A separately configured “midsole” may also be included. For example, in the depicted embodiment, the “insole” includes both a foam cushion and/or other filler 14 a over a rubber padding 14b, and is affixed to and under a footbed (also called a sock liner) 14 c. In a closed-toe shoe, the upper 12 usually also has at least a toe box 12 a, a part which covers and protects the toes, and a vamp 12 b, the front part of the shoe starting behind the toes and extending towards the back of the shoe. In many embodiments of the present invention, the shoe will also include a heelcap or backstay 22.

The hooded heel 18 itself, can be glued, cemented, stitched or otherwise affixed in a completely hidden, or almost completely hidden, location, above the outsole (or other ground-contacting shoe part) 16 in the rear shoe area and inside the rear portion of the shoe where the human heel will rest. In the preferred embodiment, the heel 18 is not visible, and is directly below a shoe part contacting the wearer's foot, generally below the insole 14. As envisioned herein, the hooded heel 18 created can be any of a high heel, a medium heel, or a low heel, as measured as discussed above. The hooded heel shoe 10 may also include a wide variety of shoe pitches, with the angle going from a very large angle in a high-heel shoe to a very small angle in a low-heel shoe, just as in a regularly heeled shoe.

Various materials can be utilized for the construction of one or more parts of the hooded heel shoes 10 of the invention and such materials, from various forms of treated leather, natural and synthetic rubbers and plastics, and foam and other cushioning materials are well known to those skilled in the shoemaking art. For example, outsoles or other shoe parts meant to durably contact the ground may include hard, durable leather materials or synthetics such as Ethylene Vinyl Acetate. If waterproofing of a shoe is advantageously to be utilized, various synthetic silicone materials may be included. Thermoplastic rubbers can be used if the shoe component(s) are to be injection molded. Various cementing, gluing and stitching techniques are also well known to those of skill in the shoemaking art to put the various parts of the shoe together.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the shoemaking arts once they are apprised of the attributes and benefits of the instant invention that by placement of the heels inside the rearmost portion of the shoe that additional comfort, e.g., by insertion of additional, unseen padding, may be obtained. Further, since such heels are not directly visible, the enhanced height and forward calf and ankle tilt of the wearer's leg is present, but its cause is not so obviously apparent. Thus, the instant invention is believed to provide largely hidden, yet discernible to the wearer, benefits for a more comfortable, and in many cases, healthier shoe fit.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects and advantages of the present invention have been achieved and other advantageous results have been obtained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. For example, the invisible heels can be of varying widths and contain varying cushioning or “framing” materials which are designed to seat and shape the wearer's own heel. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A heeled shoe comprising: a heel located in the rear part of the shoe and configured so that it is almost completely hidden from view when the shoe is in use.
 2. The shoe of claim 1 wherein the heel is completely hidden from view when the shoe is in use.
 3. The shoe of claim 1 wherein the shoe further comprises an insole and an outsole, both the insole and the outsole comprising a front portion and a rear portion, and wherein the heel is located between the rear portion of the insole and the rear portion of the outsole.
 4. The shoe of claim 3 where the heel is completely hidden from view when the shoe is in use.
 5. The shoe of claim 1 wherein the shoe is a closed-toe shoe.
 6. The shoe of claim 1 wherein the shoe is an open-toe shoe.
 7. The shoe of claim 1 wherein the shoe is a low-heeled shoe.
 8. The shoe of claim 3 wherein the shoe is a low-heeled shoe.
 9. The shoe of claim 1 wherein the shoe is a medium-heeled shoe.
 10. The shoe of claim 3 wherein the shoe is a medium-heeled shoe.
 11. The shoe of claim 1 wherein the shoe is a high-heeled shoe.
 12. The shoe of claim 3 wherein the shoe is a high-heeled shoe.
 13. A method of use comprising placement of a heeled shoe comprising: a heel located in the rear part of the shoe and configured so that it is almost completely hidden from view when the shoe is in use upon a foot and using the foot in an activity.
 14. The method of use of claim 13 wherein the shoe is aesthetically designed for use by a woman. 